Container, in particular bottle with an identification element for aligning the same

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a container ( 1 ) comprising at least one identification element ( 9 ). The at least one identification element ( 9 ) is arranged in the interior of the container ( 1 ) or preferably in the lateral wall ( 4 ) of the same.

The invention relates to a container, which has at least oneidentification element.

These types of containers can be used in the manner of bottles or thelike for liquids, for example beverages. The containers can be producedfrom a transparent or translucent material, for example glass, or from atranslucent plastics material, e.g. PET. The containers are supplied,for example, to a labelling machine in which a label is to be located ina predetermined and repeatable position always oriented in an identicalmanner relative to external development features on the outside of thecontainer.

In order to be able to achieve the desired position, the containers aremoved past a detecting device, which includes, for example, suitableoptical elements, evaluating units and control units. The position ofthe container in the labelling machine is detected by means of theoptical elements, the identification element being included herein. Theidentification element can be arranged in the form of an embossing, anindentation and/or a notch on the outside of the container. The opticalelements detect the initially random position of the container in thelabelling machine, by way of the established position of the at leastone identification element. The established actual position of theidentification element is compared to the required deposited position(required image). A correction amount is determined from deviationsbetween the actual position and the required position, said correctionamount being forwarded to a rotatable container support as correctionsignal such that the container can be rotated into the requiredposition. This consequently ensures that the label is always located inthe desired position on the container.

The containers of different manufacturers, however, each have differentidentification elements. For example, different manufacturers' beerbottles naturally have different brand names embossed on the outside ofthe bottle. In this case, a letter or another suitable symbol could beused as the identification feature to align the container or the bottlefrom the actual position into the required position. However, mineralwater bottles can also have such brand embossing, which could be used asan identification element. It is also conceivable to locate the at leastone identification element on a bottom region on the outside of thecontainer.

As, however, containers or series of containers being labelled inlabelling machines are to all intents and purposes, for example,produced by different beverage manufacturers that can each havedifferent identification elements for aligning the container into therequired position, a separate learning process is naturally necessary ineach case for the detecting device when a subsequent series ofcontainers produced by a different beverage manufacturer, for example,is to be labelled. In order to teach the detecting device about therespective identification elements, which, as described, can bepositioned and/or realized in a different manner, time-consumingoperations have to be performed, the labelling machine possibly havingto be stopped.

Consequently, it is the object of the invention to make available acontainer of the aforementioned type, which is improved using simplemeans to the effect that a learning process when converting thelabelling machine for example to containers or series of containersproduced by different beverage manufacturers is avoided or at least isreduced in an extensive manner.

The object is achieved according to the invention by a container withthe features of Claim 1, the at least one identification element beinglocated in an interior of the container.

On account of the advantageous arrangement of the at least oneidentification element in the interior of the container, a learningprocess, when converting the labelling machine to containers or seriesof containers for example produced by different beverage manufacturers,is avoided or is at least extensively reduced as the at least oneidentification element, for example, is preferably realized in anidentical manner even on containers produced by different beveragemanufacturers. It is also conceivable for the identification element tobe able to be located in each case at an identical spatial relationshiprelative to other development features of the container. For thedetecting device no longer has to be taught about the differentidentification elements. Rathermore, the detecting device can be taughtonce about a universal identification element in order to be able toaccomplish the alignment from the actual position into the requiredposition. To this end, the corresponding required image, whichcorresponds to the new container or the new series of containers, simplyhas to be deposited in the evaluating unit. This is, however, lesscostly as the respective required images can be stored and called upcorrespondingly quickly. In addition, it is expedient that theidentification element located inside is not detectable from the outsidesuch that, for example, brand manufacturers can also use anidentification element that differs from their trademark withoutjeopardizing the distinctiveness of their trademark. In other words, theidentification element is located in this manner in the interior of thecontainer such that a change to the exterior is avoided.

The container can have a mouth opening and a bottom that is situatedopposite thereto. A side wall extends from the mouth opening in thedirection of the bottom. The side wall can have a container neck locatedin the region of the mouth opening and a container belly connectingthereto. A labelling region can be provided, for example, on thecontainer belly.

It is expedient in terms of the invention when the at least oneidentification element is located on the side wall in the interior ofthe container, the at least one identification element being located inan expedient manner in the labelling region. The identification elementis covered by the label such that by means of this measure, visualperception can be ruled out extensively after the labelling procedure.

So that the identification element can be accommodated by a detectingdevice, it is provided in a more advantageous manner that theidentification element has indentations, notches and/or elevations, theidentification element being in an expedient manner a three-dimensional,spatial element.

In order to reduce the learning process, it is provided in anadvantageous manner that the at least one identification element islocated in a defined position with reference to the shaping of thecontainer. For example, the at least one identification element can belocated at a defined spacing from the bottom and/or from the mouthopening, that is always in an identical manner in a spatially definedarrangement in the interior of the respective container.

It is additionally conceivable to provide at least one secondidentification element in the interior of the container, said secondelement being located equally in a spatially defined position relativeto the first identification element and/or to the bottom or to the mouthopening. A particular advantage is that very prominent markings that aretechnically easy to detect can be provided at an exposed position.Nevertheless, the subsequent labelling procedure is not impaired in anyway as there are no ridges or edges on the undisturbed outside surfacethat might result in unwanted air pockets and optical disadvantages.

Further additional developments of the invention are disclosed in thesub claims and the following description of the Figures, in which, indetail:

FIG. 1 shows a basic representation of a cross section of a container.

FIG. 1 shows a basic representation of a container 1, for example in themanner of a bottle, for example a beverage bottle. The container 1 canbe produced from a transparent or translucent material, for exampleglass, or from a translucent plastics material, e.g. PET.

The container 1 has a mouth opening 2, a bottom 3 located oppositethereto and a side wall 4.

The side wall 4 has a container neck 6 and a container belly 7. From themouth opening 2, the container neck 6 merges, for example via acylindrical portion that widens in the form of a cone, into thecontainer belly 7. The bottom 3 is located at the container belly 7situated opposite the mouth opening 2. The bottom 3 is realized in acontinuously planar manner purely as an example. The bottom 3 can alsonaturally have other forms of development. The individual components ofthe container 1 are edged to improve clarity, a respective wallthickness being represented excessively thickly. The container 1 isobviously produced in one piece.

A labelling region 8 is located at the container belly 7, said labellingregion being indicated by means of a boundary shown by a broken line.The labelling region 8 is only to be indicated as an example. There cannaturally also be a labelling region in the neck region.

An identification element 9 is located in the interior of the container1. The identification element 9 is represented with exaggerateddimensions and can also be identified as an embossing or insideembossing. In principle, the identification element 9, as athree-dimensional element with indentations and/or elevations 10 (notshown), can be located in the side wall 4, preferably in the labellingregion 8. In a preferred embodiment, the identification element 9 isintroduced into the side wall 4 using suitable means without thecontainer characteristics being impaired by the identification element9. For example, the identification element 9 could be realized by meansof elevations in the form of a symbol of the Applicant, which isindicated as an example in FIG. 1. The outside contour of the side wall4 can, in this case, be permanently deformed, which means in the exampleshown that said outside contour is realized in a uniformly cylindricalmanner.

The identification element 9 can naturally also be located in a bottomregion, or in other suitable positions inside the container 1.

The represented position of the identification element 9 preferablyinside the labelling region 8 is simply to be understood as an example.It is possible to locate the identification element 9 in a definedspatial position for example with reference to the bottom 3 and/or tothe mouth opening 2. It is also expedient in terms of the invention whenthe identification element 9, with containers for example produced bydifferent beverage manufacturers, is located not only identically in itsdevelopment but also as identical as possible in its defined position.

In addition, a second identification element 9 could be located in theinterior of the container 1, it being possible for said secondidentification element to be located equally in a spatially definedposition in relation to the bottom and/or to the mouth opening 2 andpreferably also in relation to the first identification element 9.Naturally, even more than two identification elements can be provided inthe interior of the container 1.

The identification element 9 is used, for example, for the aligning ofthe container 1 in a labelling machine from an actual position into arequired position in order to label the container or containers with alabel at a predetermined reference relative to the external developmentfeatures of the container 1. To this end, the container 1 is moved pasta detecting device, which establishes the actual position of thecontainer 1, for example, by optical elements recording theidentification element 9. The actual position is compared with arequired position in an evaluating unit, a correction signal beingdetermined from the differences, said correction signal brings about arotation of the container support such that the container 1 is rotatedout of the actual position into the required position. This can also beaccomplished in at least two steps, in a first rough alignment and in asecond fine alignment connected thereto.

It is possible to provide a second detecting device, or at least asecond optical system, which is coupled to the evaluating unit. This canalso be understood as a safety function if the container 1 has not quitereached the required position after the first positional correction.

The invention should obviously not be restricted to the describedalignment of containers in labelling machines. Rathermore, a rotating ofthe container out of an actual position into a required position canalso be expedient in other machines, for example in printing machinesfor printing the container or labels applied beforehand at apredetermined reference in relation to external development features.The described container naturally does not just have to be realized as abeverage bottle. Rathermore, the container can also deviate from therepresented form and can to all intents and purposes accommodate othermedia.

LIST OF REFERENCES

-   1 Container-   2 Mouth opening-   3 Bottom-   4 Side wall-   5-   6 Container neck-   7 Container belly-   8 Labelling region-   9 Identification element-   10-   11 Indentation/notch-   12 Elevation

1. A container having at least one identification element the at leastone identification element being located in an interior of thecontainer.
 2. The container according to claim 1, wherein the at leastone identification element is located in a side wall in the interior ofthe container.
 3. The container according to claim 1 wherein the atleast one identification element is located in a labelling region of thecontainer.
 4. The container according to claim 1, wherein the at leastone identification element comprises indentations.
 5. The containeraccording to claim 1, wherein the identification element isthree-dimensional.
 6. The container according to claim 1, wherein theidentification element is located in a defined position in the interiorof the container.
 7. The container according to claim 1, wherein the atleast one identification element comprises notches.
 8. The containeraccording to claim 1, wherein the at least one identification elementcomprise elevations.
 9. The container according to claim 2 wherein theat least one identification element is located in a labelling region ofthe container.